Chapter 110: Buy, Buy, Buy

Women cannot refuse to go shopping, just as the West cannot lose Jerusalem.

This truth was known to Fan Li even before he traveled through time.

Though she said she didn’t want to, after strolling through two bustling thoroughfares, the cold moon sovereign grew increasingly enthusiastic.

“Where do you want to go next?” she asked eagerly.

Her tone lacked the murderous edge she had displayed when they first stepped outside, as if ready to draw her sword and kill Fan Li on the spot.

Fan Li couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Clearly, it was this woman who wanted to keep shopping, yet she was asking him where he wanted to go?

After walking two streets and passing hundreds of shops, wasn’t she tired yet?

The goods that Cold Moon casually bought could fill a small warehouse.

Moreover, from Fan Li’s perspective, most of these items were utterly useless to her.

“Sovereign, we’ve been shopping long enough. Let’s head back early and rest,” Fan Li said wearily, ignoring the double meaning in his words.

This method of shopping should never be used on women again.

It was like defeating eight hundred enemies but suffering a thousand wounds oneself.

“Is it over so soon?” Cold Moon couldn’t hide her disappointment.

She looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was setting; it was indeed getting late.

But there was no way she would obey Fan Li’s command.

After some thought, Cold Moon pointed ahead to a magnificent octagonal tower.

“Accompany me through the last shop, then we’ll go back.”

“You were the one who said that Chang’an’s shops gathered the world’s rare treasures and that it wouldn’t be worth coming if we didn’t see everything.”

Fan Li twitched his face.

“Just now?”

That was half a day ago!

He glared at the sign on the octagonal tower: “Yun Embroidery Workshop,” clearly a store selling women’s ready-to-wear garments.

Fan Li recalled that Yun Embroidery Workshop was one of the few places that employed cultivators as embroiderers, producing spiritual treasures that were graded from Celestial, Earth, Mysterious, to Yellow ranks.

Thus, Yun Embroidery Workshop was the favored store among female cultivators.

In the Great Chu kingdom, the Fan family’s trading company monopolized the distribution rights for Yun Embroidery’s ready-made clothes.

“Fine then.”

“Yun Embroidery originated in the Great Han; only the Chu and Ming kingdoms have branches. The highest-grade and most valuable pieces are sold exclusively at the Chang’an flagship store.”

“Even if my little sister Yuehua fancies a new piece, she would have to come all the way to Chang’an to buy it.”

“Since we’re here today, I might as well buy a few for my sister and Wuzhui as gifts.”

With that in mind, Fan Li entered the Yun Embroidery Workshop with Cold Moon.

The octagonal tower had three floors.

Fan Li didn’t need to be told that while the first floor boasted a dazzling array of goods, the true masterpieces were only on the third floor.

He headed straight for the stairs, which surprised Cold Moon.

“Why the rush?” she asked, following closely. “We haven’t even looked around the first floor.”

Without turning his head, Fan Li threw out a sentence:

“You’re the Sovereign of the Pure Land; can this stuff even catch your eye?”

Cold Moon paused, then took a closer look around.

Indeed.

The workmanship on the garments was delicate, but the materials were ordinary, and the grades were low.

Most were Yellow-level spiritual treasures, at best reaching the first or second rank of the Mysterious level.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her usually icy demeanor wavered.

Ascending to the second floor, Cold Moon admitted Fan Li was right.

Most of the goods were displayed in crystal-carved showcases, indicating higher value.

The lesser items were ranked at the eighth or ninth grade of the Mysterious level.

There were even quite a few Earth-level pieces!

Cold Moon Sovereign felt tempted.

She had trained hard for many years, living alone.

Aside from the Frost Condensing Sword in her hand, which was a ninth-grade Earth-level spiritual treasure, her usual clothes were of low grade.

Just as Cold Moon was about to try on some garments, she noticed Fan Li bypass the displays and continue up the stairs by the railing.

“You don’t like the second-floor goods either?!” Cold Moon asked in surprise as she caught up.

Fan Li ignored her and kept climbing silently.

This time, Cold Moon was not angry.

She suddenly understood that Fan Li’s disdain for the current items meant the third floor must indeed have something exceptional.

But as they reached the third floor, an invisible spiritual energy barrier, as solid as a wall, blocked their path.

“Guests, please stop.”

“The top floor of Yun Embroidery Workshop is only open to our Heavenly-level members. You must present a Heavenly-level membership card to enter.”

“If you lack the membership card, please return the way you came. There are plenty of fine goods on the lower floors for customers to choose from.”

The speaker was an elderly man, gaunt and appearing as if half-buried in the earth.

His tone was polite.

With cultivation at the ninth-grade Grand Completion of the Transformation Spirit realm, he was the shopkeeper of the Yun Embroidery flagship store.

The old shopkeeper scrutinized Fan Li, surprised inwardly.

This young man’s attire was extraordinary and noble, yet his cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage?

In Chang’an, no prominent noble family was known to have a naturally useless son.

Then his eyes widened as he looked at Cold Moon Sovereign beside Fan Li.

He could not discern her true cultivation level.

He examined her repeatedly, thinking, “She seems to be the same age as the young master—could she be hiding her real power with a rare treasure?”

Just as this thought formed, Cold Moon raised her right hand and lightly poked the spiritual energy barrier with her index finger.

“How reckless!”

“How dare she touch my spiritual energy barrier directly? Her finger won’t be spared!”

The old shopkeeper frowned, about to intervene, but suddenly felt tightness in his chest.

With a ‘pop,’ the spiritual energy barrier shattered under Cold Moon’s touch, dissolving into countless bubbles that vanished into the air.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

“Who... who exactly are you? How dare you force your way into my shop? This is Chang’an, the emperor’s domain! Aren’t you afraid of the law?”

The shopkeeper suppressed the raging blood energy in his chest, his face full of terror as he stared at Cold Moon.

He thought they were robbers, even more fearful that a single finger had shattered his barrier and that he was no match for her.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?” Fan Li shot Cold Moon a glare.

“I...” she stammered.

She had not paid attention to the shopkeeper’s warning and had only seen a thin barrier blocking their way, so she casually broke it.

“We’re here to shop, not to rob. Why break their barrier?”

While speaking, Fan Li reached into his pocket.

Finally, he pulled out the almost never-used Heavenly-level membership card for Yun Embroidery Workshop.

“You...”

The shopkeeper nearly spat blood again!

If they had the membership card, why hadn’t they shown it sooner?

With this unexpected injury, he would need at least half a month to recover!

“Can we enter now?” Fan Li asked, confused that the old man only seemed surprised and did not step aside. “Is the card expired?”

“No! Ah, honored guests, please come in…”

The shopkeeper, still shaken, hurriedly made way for them.

Finally able to see the third floor’s collection, Cold Moon quickened her pace, filled with anticipation.

But to her surprise, the entire third floor held only five display cabinets.

Inside each crystal showcase stood a humanoid sculpture dressed in a top-grade ready-made garment sold exclusively on this floor.

“So beautiful!” Cold Moon breathed softly.

Realizing she had spoken aloud, she feared Fan Li’s ridicule.

Yet, stealing a glance with her eyes, she saw the man was even more absorbed in admiring the items.

The five dresses were like immortal robes, ethereal and exquisitely crafted.

“I’ve heard Fan Li is wealthier than the kingdom. If he buys all five, what will become of me?”

“Earth-level grades five through eight... Heavenly heavens! There’s even a ninth-grade Earth-level treasure garment? The same rank as my Frost Condensing Sword?”

“No way! At least this one must be mine!”

Cold Moon made up her mind and went to check the price tags on the display cabinets.

A long string of nines shimmered before her eyes.

“Oh my god, this is so expensive!”

This time she could not hold back and cried out in astonishment.

(The End)